College of Graduate Studies

Formatting Documents

Before you begin to format your document, you will need to print out the ETD Guidelines and sample pages below. The ETD Guidelines document is in Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf), which means you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader on your machine to view it. The Format Matter Templates are in MS Word (.doc) format, which are functional documents. You may use them for your thesis or dissertation. You may download Adobe Acrobat Reader here if you don't have it.

ETD Guidelines (Manual) in PDF (Updated: 7/25/2007)

Front Matter Template - Bottom Center in MS Word (Updated: 11/30/04)

Front Matter Template - Top Right in MS Word (Updated: 11/30/04)

Style Manuals

Using a Word Processor

You will be using a word processor to type your thesis or dissertation. You can use whatever word processor you like, but only Microsoft Word is supported on Georgia Southern University's campus. There is also support for MS Word in the library. You will find useful information and recommendations below for MS Word.

Recommendation # 1:
Buy a Word Processing Reference Book

It is highly recommended that you visit a bookstore to buy a good reference book for the word processor you will be using. A good reference book should have plenty of visuals and easy-to-follow instructions. Also, make sure that the reference book you buy is for the same version of the software you are using. You will find the version number of the software under the Help drop-down menu of the program you are using. Buying a reference will make your life a lot less stressful when you are having to format your thesis or dissertation.

Recommendation #2:
Start with the Microsoft Word Overview Below

Recommendation #3:
Get Help from the Library

If you need word processing help in formatting your thesis or dissertation, you may contact Dr. Sonya Shepherd in Henderson Library.

Microsoft Word Overview

We'll begin by looking at the menu bar's drop-down menus in MS Word 2000, and then we'll move on to some of the specifics of formatting your documents.

MS Word 2000 Menu Bar

The menu bar is found at the top of the screen. This is a common feature of almost every software program. The words on the bar will open drop-down menus with options from which you can select.

Microsoft Word Drop-down menus.

Use these images as a quick reference for finding specific functions in MS Word.

1. File Menu

2. Edit Menu

3. View Menu

4. Insert Menu

5. Format Menu

6. Tools Menu

7. Table Menu

8. Window Menu

9. Help Menu

Specific MS Word 2000 Functions

Below, you will find information to help you format your documents. Refer to the ETD Guidelines for specific settings. Keep in mind that format requirements differ across disciplines.

How to Follow the Instructions

Notice the example below that reads Font: Format Menu > Font. The means that you should click on the word Format on the menu bar, and click on the word Font to access the Font options.

Word Menu Bar with Drop-down Menu Items

Fonts

Format > Font

Special Characters or Symbols

You can add special characters to a document by using the symbols dialogue box. Notice the drop-down menu next to the word Font in the following picture. You might have to browse through the different categories to find the character you need. Once you find it, click the Insert button, and it will appear in the document wherever your cursor is positioned.

Insert > Symbol

Margins

File > Page Setup. Click the Margins tab.

Line Spacing

Format > Paragraph. Click the Indents and Spacing tab. Under Spacing, look for Line Spacing.

Turning off Auto-hyphenation

Tools > Language > Hyphenation. Uncheck the boxes if they have check marks.

Page Numbering with the Header and Footer Option

Open the View menu and click Header and Footer. A space will open at the top and bottom of the page, and you'll see a new bar appear. (See next image)

Page numbering can be accomplished in several ways. We will present it only one way here. If you need more help on this topic, look under the Help menu in MS Word at the top of your screen.

View > Header and Footer.

Explanation of Icons on Header and Footer Bar

Suppressing Page Numbering

If you want to start page numbering after a certaint page, you need to insert a page break on the page where you don't want the number to start. To insert a page break, select:

Insert > Break > Page Break

Widows and Orphans

Widows and Orphans are explained in your ETD Guidelines. There are two ways to handle this; see both examples below.

Example 1 - Text automatically flows from the bottom of a page to the top of the next page. A paragraph frequently begins on one page and ends on the following page. You can force a page break by inserting a page break. Place your cursor where you want to start a page break and then select:

Insert > Break > Page Break, and press OK.

Example 2 - Another way to handle a page break is to use the automatic feature in Word to control Widows and Orphans. Simply place a check mark in the check box. See the picture that follows.

Format > Paragraph. Click the Lines and Page Breaks tab, then place a check mark in the Widow/Orphan control.

Paragraphs Indented 5 Spaces (or 1/2 Inch)

Format > Paragraph. Click the Indents and Spacing tab. Select First Line under the Special area, and select "0.5." Notice how the Preview changes as you make changes.

Hanging Indent

Format > Paragraph. Select Hanging under the Special area. Notice how the Preview changes as you make changes.

Headings and Subheadings

Editing Heading Attributes

Format > style > Modify > Format

Footnotes and Endnotes

Place your cursor in the text of the document where you want to insert a reference number (or roman numeral) to a footnote or endnote. Click OK, and you'll be taken to the place on the page where you can begin typing your foot or endnote.

Insert > Footnote. Select Footnote or Endnote.

Superscripts and Subscripts

Place your cursor in the text of your document where you want a superscript or subscript. Open up the Font menu by going to Format > Fonts, and then look for the Effects area where you see superscript and subscript. Choose the one you want and click OK.

Format > Font

Justification (Text Alignment)

All text should be Left Justified. There are four options for justifying a document: Left, Center, Right and Justify. The last option, Justify, means to evenly space the text across the document, which gives the text of the document a "squared off" appeareance. Do NOT use the Justify feature unless instructed to do so.

Landscape or Portrait

Landscape and Portrait refer to the orientation of the page. Landscape means the width of the page is longer than the height of the page. Portrait means the width of the page is shorter than the height of the page. See the illustration below.

Spell Check Your Documents

The spell check function is standard with most all word processing software. You must spell check your document before converting to a pdf file for submitting to the College of Graduate Studies for the format check. If you are in doubt about any spelling that the spell checker does not question, please consult reference dictionaries.